Lazise

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10/07/2017 Total Views: 76939 Today: 7

Lazise is a medieval walled town, with the walls dating back to 1370. Under Venetian rule Lazise was a major trading centre, the customs house on the harbour still exists from where Venice controlled the movement of goods on the lake. However, today it exists solely as a picturesque town for tourists. The Scaliger Castle dates back to the 12th and 13th Centuries and is only visitable from the outside as it is still in private ownership and somebody actually still lives there! The medieval center of Lazise is largely car-free, making it a pleasure for pedestrians. The magnificent Scaliger castle, that dates back to the 12th and 13th Centuries dominates the center of town. It was built to fend off Austrian invaders, but today it hosts concerts and other cultural events. Standing guard along the harbor, the well-preserved Dogana Veneta, (a.k.a. Venetian customs house), once controlled all of Lake Garda’s commerce. This portico’s palace now serves as an art gallery. Underwater lies a fleet of centuries-old Venetian ships, sunk by their own commander to keep them away from the enemy. Nearby, the Romanesque San Nicolò Church is dedicated to the patron saint of sailors. Its frescoes, done in the 1300s, were painted by an anonymous artist of the school of Giotto. Wednesday is market day, but the small boutiques and shops invite shoppers to browse daily. You can buy anything from camping equipment to designer clothes. Local specialties include cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, as well as regionally-produced wines like Amarone della Valpolicella and Bardolino Classico. A multitude of restaurants and bars satiate every hunger and thirst into the wee hours. Many menus feature fresh lake fish such as trout, sardines, pike, carp, and even eel. For a closer look at the lake, follow the promenade and its pretty wave-shaped brickwork. The tiny sandy beaches don’t provide much room for sunbathing, but visitors can sprawl out on the lawn on the other side of the promenade. Palm trees provide some shade while flowering shrubs scent the air. Streams of private pleasure boats come and go, and it’s possible to catch a ferry to other lakeside villages. In the evening, Venetian-style lamps light the nightly parades of people strolling along the promenade. Young couples, families and seniors — both locals and visitors — mingle and relax in Lazise’s welcoming atmosphere. You can rent a boat at the harbour or take a ferry to another town around the Lake, but there is plenty to see and explore at Lazise. It is also just a short drive or bus ride to the Theme Parks. There are two large themeparks nearby accessed by complimentary buses and both are very good. Gardaland is the third-most-popular theme park in Europe and Movieland is a combination of rides and shows. Movieland (also known as Canevaworld and Movie Studios Park) has its own Aqua Paradise Park, Rock and Roll cafe and Medieval Banquet. an excellent Zoo and safari park nearby at Pastreno on the road to Verona East of Lazise, where you can drive around one half of the zoo in your car and the other half on foot. There is a surprisingly popular Olive Oil Museum nearby, which is no doubt a thrilling experience for those interested, and an excellent motor museum, Museo Nicolis at Villafranca, which is a 20 minute car ride away. from tennis to football, to inevitable watersports as well as some excellent golf courses. Shopping at Lake Garda is generally very good and Lazise is no exception with a whole array of traditional, stylish or simply interesting shops to browse around every street corner. There is a Thermal Park, in Colà di Lazise, at Villa Dei Cedri, where a lake of roughly 5,000 m2 is equipped for hydromassages of various kinds, fountains etc. It is lit in the evening so bathing at night is also possible. The water of the Villa dei Cedri, the source of which lies at a depth of approximately 160 metres, flows at a temperature of roughly 37°C and has been certified as low in mineral content, free of chemical contamination, bacteriologically suitable, in the group of calcic-bicarbonate waters, with a significant quantity of silicon, potassium and magnesium. Thanks to these valuable chemical-physical characteristics, the Villa dei Cedri water has a beneficial detergent, soothing and anti-inflammatory action. It is held to be extremely useful in prevention and in the therapy of a significant number of pathologies or cutaneous imperfections, including eczemas, contact dermatitis, pruriginous dermatitis, dermatitis associated with circulatory conditions, cellulitis, irritations or conditions of sensitive skin in general. The grotto hydromassages are an excellent exfoliating scrub that prepares your skin, freeing it from the dead cells, to receive all the benefits of the water. The various jets massage your body, freeing it from toxins. In this way the circulation is improved and your muscles relax, becoming more elastic and tonic. The recommended time for treatment is from 10 to 15 minutes, in several sessions, but your body will let you know when it’s completely relaxed.